The Lambertville record., 1887-08-03
Read before the Interstate Historical Meet
ing, at soIebufy Deer Park, July Goth,
1887, by DIR. George H. Larison,
of LambertviIIe, N. j.

goodly land of Dykes and Van Dyke
With these there came the Welsh al
Scotch, and to the north, there can
from the Ger man provinces not few.
The Welsh settled from the Pennypa
to Hilltown and the Scotch selected
best suit themselves.
All these had hab its and modes OF Ii
learned in the Fatherland- and as Csesl
said of Gaups divisions" All these di
fer from each other in language. custom
and laws. "
More than Caesars men, each had
religious notion, characteristic withaI
The Englishman had trade fror
home apprenticeship, which here h
taught his sons, yet they both felled th
large trees of the forest and titled th
soil for common livelihood on weel
days and attended Friends meeting oil
the Sabbath.
From Hollands dykes and highe
lands came men of trades who taugh
their sons the same as they cleared th,
land and grew the crops ON which to live
and they, on Sabbath, like the saints al
Pentecost, were oil in one place, will
one mind and one accord.
TIE Scotchman, too, a skilled mo
chanic, taught his boy to be the same,
while in these woods, among the trees,
he did as other yeomen to till the ground
and grow the crops from which ho lived,
holding firmly 10 the tenents OF John
Knox and his Presbyters.
The Welsh from mines in turn cui
trees, titled the soil, and did as we'll as
others, whose habits of life had ALWAYS
been above ground. Their language was
odd, their natures good, and with steady
hnbits aud active lives gained many
friends and held q place with others.
His religious notions were fixed that
every man was born sinner, yet every
man had offered him saving grace by
strict compliance.
The sturdy German, whose great aim
was to make home happy, own land and
save money, was fond of work and
brought his children up to do il. The
boy could NOW, the girl could pillow, and
no needed work was left undone. In
reverence they followed Luther or Men
no, and were instructed TO stand by
these rites.
Now, in all these English, Dutch,
Scotch, Welsh and German-to these
this jargon tongue must be understood,
gether.
The English, from governmental au-
thority, led the accepdancy in language,
but the surrounding country had more
TO do with all their habits and mode OF
life, sparsely settled. The Englishman,
on one tract Of land, the Dutch, the
Scotch, the Welsh, the German on an
other, near or adjoining, must, as mat
ter of necessity, become good neighbors
and blend together.
The old ways OF tho Fatherland were
changed by necessity to modes OF life in
the new. Their homes were here they
had come to stay. Life commenced
anew, and the country would be whatso-
ever they made it. The land was theirs !:
they had bought it, They were here to
improve and defend it and to make it
withal one common settlements-one CON-
mon and great country.
Clearings were made oil over these
townships trees fell new ground turn
ed up with the hoe and wooden mould.
board plow the seeds of Indian corn,
indigenous TO this soil, were here plant
ed by those who had not seen it grow,
as it did not belong to the Fatherland.
1t was to them wondrous crop. Their
expectations moro than realized in the
adventure.
The virgin soil was good, and, like all
new grounds to day, are best for crops.
The giant stalks OF corn were astound-
ing, and the roasting ears were relished
among the early edibles Of their first
crops. Beans, peas, cabbage, onions,
turnips and all grew to perfection, and
the wheat was never-failing.
Their stock required special attention,
ms there was no pasture lands cleared up
the milch COWS must roam
in the forests, and in winter, when SHOWS
covered the ground, trees were felled
that the cattle might subsist by eating
the green twigs Of the tree tops, which
they called browsing. Their horses
shared quite the same fate, and for q
time, proportionatoly, were few in num-
bers Hogs of the roach-baclx " kind
Jared better, as they were calculated to
run at large in the forest and fatten on
crops of acorns which here abonnded.
The sheep, of necessity for wool, came
Ia later, when tho clearings we're more
extended but, on account OF wolves and
other destructive animals, required con-
slant care by day and sheltered in closed
pens ut night.
There were indoor difficulties to en-
counter on account OF tho scarcity of
hcnsehold goods, as the material must OF
necessity come from the mother country,
and the transport was done at extreme
a n ls..x
usually limited. An iron pot, frying
pan, copper kettle, mug and a few pew
ter platters, with knives and forks and
wooden spoons, must satisfy till other
days. These, with their wearing apparel,
could be toted ON horseback from the
ships landing through the woods to the
place Of final settlement, where tho cabin
or temporary house must be built. In
this the choice Of ground was made, and
TIE site for building was as matter of
necessity and convenience near IN ex-
spring Of water, as old landmarks
and tradition to-day will show.
This first house was built often single
handed. The man, bis wife and child
rem, if he had them, with an axe, felled
Q few smaller trees or saplings and log
ged Them IN pieces, often apout lzxlo
feet, notching each at the ends. They
would pile them up so as to clear the
head in height; and for roof, cut
poles, barks, or, better, split some larger
trees. As for q floor, the ground would
10 till some logs were split and trimmed
and laid down, the split side up. One
door in front, and to close it blanket
or canvas was fixed thereat
A window front and back, two feet
square, and for lights a CREASED paper |
Dr. thin linen cloth would take the
place of better transparencies. The fire.
place was constructed Of stone on the in
,ide at an end or corner, and to lay these
,tone and fill the cracks between the logs |
II which tho walls were made, clay or |
oam was mixed into mortar.